Picture hanger and hook remover



M. M. FERGUSON.

PICTURE HANGER AND HOOK REMOVER.

APPucATlon men SEPT. I6, 1915.

Patented May 11, 1920.

Inventor Mum U N ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MANTON M. FERGUSON, OF DES MOINES, IOWA.

Mama

s PICTURE HANGER AND Hoox REIMOVER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 11, 1920.

Application filed September 16, 1918. Serial No. 254,320.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MA'NTON M. FERGU- soN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Des Moines, in the county of Polk and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Picture Hanger and Hook Remover, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a picture hanger and hook remover of simple, durable and inexpensive construction.

More particularly it is my object to provide a picture hook remover adapted to remove pictures from the wall which are supported from a picture hook fastened to the picture molding. I

A further object of my invention is to provide a means for removing pictures from the wall without the aid of any ladder or any other device which necessitates that a person removing the picture shall have to leave the floor in order to remove the picture.

A further object of my invention is to provide a picture hook remover adapted to be used in connection with lowering window sashes or the like.

Still a further object of my invention is to provide a picture hook remover having a handle portion provided with a series of measurement graduations adapted to be used for measuring.

With these and other objects in view my invention consists in the construction, ar-

rangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in. which: i V

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of my picture hook remover showin 7 a molding and a picture hook in such relationship to each other as to show how the device is operated.

Fig. 2 shows a top View of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows a sectional View taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.- 4

F ig. 4 shows a planview of the modified form of my device. V

Fig. 5 shows an edge view of the modified form as is shown in ig. 4, and

Fig. 6 shows a top view of my improved modified form.

In the accompanying drawings, I have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate a handle member. At the upper end of the handle member 10 is a tubular member 11; said handle 10 being extended into an opening in the tubular member 11, substantially as is shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. I

The tubular member 11 is fastened to the handle 10 by means of a rivet 12.

At the upper portion 11 is a somewhat smaller portion 13.

Formed integral with the portion 13 is an upwardly extending circular member 14 terminating in its upper end in a sharp pointed head 15.

Formed on the circular member 14 is a laterally projecting member 16 which has a flat surface from side to side.

I have used the reference numeral 17 to indicate the flat portionin the laterally projecting member 16.

' Formed on the laterally projecting member 16 is a head 18. Adjacent to the head 15 is a flat shoulder 19. Between the shoul: der 19 and the head 18 is a concave portion. Said concave portion is flat from side to side substantially as shown in Fig. 3 of my draw- H108.

The concave portion is adapted to receive the lower end of the picture hook 20. j

The lower end of the picture hook 20 has the convex portion 21 which is adapted to'fit securely in the concave portion of my improved picture hook remover.

At the outward end of the picture book 20 is a flange 22 adapted to rest securely on the shoulder 19.

The upper end of the picture hook 20 is adapted to extend. over the molding 23.

The concave portion of my picture hook remover is flat from side to side substantially of the same width as the flat portion of the picture hook 20.

The head 18 on the laterally projecting member 16 of my improved picture hook remover, is adapted to be inserted into an opening in the upper end of a window sash, thereby beingutilized as a means for raising and lowering window sashes.

In the modified form of my device, as is shown in Fig. 4, I have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate a handle member; said handle member having a series of measuring graduations- 24: thereon.

At the upper end of my device, as is shown in Fig. 4, is a concave portion 25 flat from side to side and adapted to receive the lower end of a picture hook therein.

At the right of the concave portion 25 is a shoulder 19 similar to the shoulder-19, as is shown in Fig. 1.

In the handle member 10 of Fig. 4 is a plurality of openings 26 spaced at various distances apart;

The openings 26 are used for inserting some means so that when the concave portion 25, which is ordinarily adapted to receive the lower endof a picture hook, is placedagai'nst a fixed-pin, shown 'by dotted lines 27, the member 10-can'be swung around endof the picture remover is placed against the lowerend of the picture hook. The operator 'by'holding, the'picture, pulls it somewhat tight, so that the wire which is looped around the lower end of' the picture hook is somewhat tightened, so as to steady the operation of removing the'picturc. The operator then with the rightrhand in which the pict'ure'removing device is held, pushes the. handle member, 10 upwardly, thereby causing the convex end of the picturehook to besecurel'y placed in the concave portion of the picture hook remover.

The operator then, by raising the righthandin-whichthe member 10is held, raises the picture hookuntil-the upper hook member of the picture-hook is raised a sufficient height untilitis allowed topass outwardly and awayfrom the picture molding.

During this complete operation the pictureis continually being somewhat drawn downwardly; so-th'at" the wire which is fastened to the picture at its lower'ends and passes around the lower end of the hook member, is: drawn tight so that it enables the operator to steady the operation of re moving the picture.

The shoulder 19 is provided so that the flange 22 of the picture hook prevents any movement either inwardly'or outwardly of the picture'hookc20.

The downward pull on the picture frame causes the wire" which loops around the lower end of the picture hook 2 0 to prevent any movement from side to side. r

The concave portion of the picture hook removing device is flat from side to side, so that the flat portion of the lower end of the hook member rests thereon forming a suflicient bearing to prevent any sideward movement or any tilting of any kind.

To place a picture on the wall, the wire of the picture is placed around the lower end of the hook member, and then my improved picture hanger or remover is placed so that the concave portion fits securely against the convex portion of the picture hook 20.

Then the picture, which should be held by the operator in his right-hand, is pulled downwardly until the tension on the wire which overlaps the convex portion of the picture hook becomes of such tension that will cause the picture hook to stand in its upright position, and also prevent any side movement.

By this method the picture canlbe hung anywhere as is desired without the use of any ladder or stool or the like.

This allows free adjustment after the picture is once hung on the wall by moving it either to the left orto the right.

When a window sash is desired to be raised or lowered the head 18 of my device is inserted into an opening in the upper'end of the window sash which is adaptedto receive said head. The operator by either pulling downwardly or. pushing upwardly on the member 10 causes the window to be raised'or lowered as is desired.

WVhen the handle lOof'my modified form,

as shown. in Fig. 4, is desired to be used for measuring, it can be used as any ordinary ruler. If a circle of a certain diameter is de-. sired to be drawn, the operator selects any one of the series of openings in the handle member 10, and by placing the coneaveportion 25 adjacent to some fixed point or pin, and by inserting some sharp pointedfinstrument or pencil in any one ofthe openings, and by swinging the member lO'aroundthe fi'xedpin, circles of various diameters may be drawn.

It willbe obvious that my device may be usedto hang a picture on, or remove it from, a nail orthe like as wellas from a molding.

Some changes may be made in theconstruction and arrangement of the parts of myimproved device, without departing-from the essential features and purposes of my invention, andit'is my intention to cover by my invention any modified forms of'structure or use of mechanical equivalents, which may be reasonably included within the scope of'my claim. r

I claim as my invention? In a device of the class described, a handle member having secured thereto at' one-end, a combined wmdowopener andpicture'hook remover, comprisinga vertic'alshank, a ra-' dially extending arm at the upper end thereof, the upper edge of said arm being curved to form the semi-circle recess adapted to receive the curved portion of a picture hook, and a downwardly extending projecting lug at the outer end of said arm, whereby the upper curved surface may selectively receive a picture hook and hold the latter in place and may receive an edge of a recess in a window sash in such manner 10 that an upward thrust on the handle will tend to force the arm into said recess, and the lug may engage the opposite edge of the recess in a sash to prevent the arm from slipping out of said recess when the handle 15 is pulled downwardly.

Des Moines, Iowa, June 26, 1918.

MANTON M. FERGUSON 

